Arab American literature

Arab-American literature (or Arab American literature) is an ethnic American literature, comprising literary works by authors with Arab origins residing in the United States. The Arab diaspora has its beginnings in the late 19th century, when Arab groups from the Ottoman Empire moved to North America. This immigration occurred in three separate phases, with distinct themes, perspectives, style, and approach to Arab culture embedded in the literature created by each respective phase.

Literature from the earlier phases features struggles of assimilation and embracing Arab identity in an American society, and conversely features a sense of detachment from Arab culture for later generations born in the United States. Later generations also contained the major theme of homecoming; finding an intermediate identity that incorporates aspects of both their Arab origin and upbringing in American society.

As an ethnic literature, early Arab-American literature is not easily understandable to audiences without prior knowledge of Arab culture. Consequently, it lacks a global presence, and is not part of considerable literary discourse. Modern criticism on Arab-American literature focuses on the lack of analysis and criticism of this literature itself.

Some renowned authors include Gibran Khalil Gibran, Ameen Rihani and Fawzi Maalouf during the first wave of immigration (called the Mahjar group), Vance Bourjaily and William Peter Blatty for the second, and Diana Abu-Jaber and Suheir Hammad in modern-day Arab American literature.